What We're Reading Wednesday-Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White

I haven't done one of these in a while, but I just had to share a review that I wrote for an ARC of Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White.  This blog post coincides with the launch of a new blog, one that I am very excited about, called Reader Rach.  I will be reviewing books that I read and love!  I think I'm so excited about this new blog because I love reading so much and I want to share the books I read with the world!

If you're a middle grade teacher, please come check out and follow my new blog and read my review of Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave, the best middle grade book I have read in a long time, which is set to be released on June 9!

A New Use for Old Christmas Cards

Christmas is over.  Now comes dreaded winter.  I don't mind the cold weather in December.  I do mind it January through March.  It's just no fun.  I still look forward to snow days, but after 12+ last year, even snow days got tiresome.

How many of you still receive Christmas cards?  We got a few this year.  Mostly, our friends send photo cards.  It's fun to see the pictures each year, and I usually keep them in a magnetic photo album.  So what do I do with the "old fashioned" cards?  Some of them are so pretty, I hate to just throw them away...one of my hoarding tendencies (I'm working on it, ok?).  So I don't throw them away, I repurpose them!  How many times do you have students come to you asking for a bookmark?  That's right, I cut up those old greeting cards into bookmarks for my students.  A pretty and practical use for the old Christmas cards!

What We're Reading Wednesday-The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Hop on over to my other blog to find out What We're Reading Wednesday!

What We're Reading Wednesday-Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

Join me on my other blog Family, Love, & Fairy Tales to find out more about this awesome book on What We're Reading Wednesday!

 

 Also, I've finally set up my Google Plus account.  Please feel free to add me!

What We're Reading Wednesday-Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

Hop on over to my other blog Family, Love, and Fairy Tales to find out what we're reading Wednesday!

Leave of Absence

One of my last blog posts was about how I was expecting a baby in May.  Well, due to some complications, I delivered a healthy baby girl in April, but my health is still not fully back to normal.  I chose to take an unpaid leave of absence this school year from my job and it is the best decision I've ever made.  I'm loving staying home with my baby girl, and only missing teaching just a little bit. I have started a new blog chronicling my experiences this year and my pregnancy complications due to HELLP syndrome.  I would love it if you follow me over there at familyloveandfairytales.blogspot.com!  I really would like to raise awareness about HELLP syndrome in pregnancy, so my first few blog posts are going to be about that.  I would love it if you could pass along my blog post to anyone who might be experiencing the symptoms I am describing.  It really could help save a life!

I hope everyone is enjoying their school year so far!  I am still following my favorite blogs and I love hearing about how everyone is doing.  I will be back to teaching next year, so I can't let myself get rusty! :)

I will periodically post here during my time off; mostly about books that I am reading.  Until then, I hope to see you over at Family, Love, & Fairy Tales.

Book Review-The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielsen

Title:  The Shadow Throne
Author:  Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date:  February 25, 2014
Source of Book:  Netgalley

The Shadow Throne is the third book in The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  War has come to Carthya. When Imogen is kidnapped, King Jaron makes a plan to rescue her.  Of course, nothing is ever easy for the Ascendant King, but don't discount Jaron just yet--he always has a plan.

I thought this book was the perfect conclusion to the trilogy.  At this point, Jaron knows who he can trust and who his real enemies are.  Though young, he never loses sight of saving his kingdom and the people of Carthya.  Nielsen gives a conclusion to all characters in this book, leaving the reader satisfied.  This is probably my favorite children's series since Harry Potter.  You can't help but to love and root for Jaron.

I am still at a loss in which genre to classify this book.  It is definitely Middle Grade/YA.  I prefer to classify it as Middle Grade, but when shopping for the books at Barnes & Noble, I had to look in the YA section.  As far as genre, though, I have mostly seen it listed as fantasy.  My only issue with this is that I believe fantasy involves magic and this book does not.  I prefer to think of the genre as a cross between fantasy and historical fiction.  The kingdom is a made-up place (fantasy), but takes place in the past (historical), though there are no historical facts in this book, which is a key component of historical fiction.  I never know how to describe the books in this trilogy, except that they are all excellent!

Rating:  4/5 stars.